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This month marks a significant milestone in comprehensive cardiac care as the Heart & Lung Institute at AtlantiCare, rated among the top 10% in the nation for overall cardiac services by Healthgrades for 2024, celebrated its tenth anniversary of performing its first Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure. TAVR is a minimally invasive alternative to open heart surgery, which can be an effective option to improve the quality of life in patients who otherwise have limited choices for replacement of their aortic valve.
The TAVR procedure, which was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2011, has revolutionized the treatment of severe aortic valve stenosis, a thickening and narrowing of the valve between the heart’s main pumping chamber and the body’s main artery. The procedure often provides immediate relief of debilitating symptoms and helps patients to live longer, more active lives.
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AtlantiCare’s Heart & Lung Institute, led by Jeffrey E. Van Hook, DO, FSCAI, Medical Director of AtlantiCare’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Structural Heart Disease Program, is comprised of a multidisciplinary team of experts who provide comprehensive care for patients with complex heart conditions, and have performed over 750 TAVR procedures since the commencement of the program.
“It’s an honor to celebrate this achievement with the Heart & Lung Institute, and I am incredibly proud of the impact AtlantiCare has had on the lives of countless individuals in our community. Our commitment to advancing cardiovascular care is unwavering, and this milestone serves as a testament to the dedication of our exceptional medical team,” said Michael J. Charlton, President and CEO of AtlantiCare. “Our journey over the past ten years reinforces our promise to advance medical treatment, which has earned us a Healthgrades distinction as being a top 100 hospital nationally recognized for Cardiac Care.”
Staying at the forefront in healthcare requires innovation, technology adoption and collaboration. At AtlantiCare, each case is reviewed by a team of cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists, clinical cardiologists and cardiac anesthesiologists, and the procedure is performed by a heart team blending the skills of each specialty to optimize patient outcomes.
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“When we formed the TAVR Team at AtlantiCare 10 years ago, we began a journey of advancement which has led us to treat patients in our community with the most complex valve problems, locally, in our comprehensive valve center,” said Dr. Van Hook. “TAVR is a good option for older patients, who may not be suitable candidates for open-heart surgery, as the minimally invasive nature of the procedure results in shorter recovery times, reduced discomfort, and a quicker return to daily activities. It’s quite remarkable to see how it affects patients and their families. I’m optimistic about the continued impact of TAVR and a future of sustained progress in cardiovascular health.”
About TAVR
Aortic valve stenosis is a fatal narrowing of the valve controlling blood leaving the heart to the rest of the body. This narrowing reduces blood flow to vital organs, resulting in shortness of breath, chest pain, blackouts, and heart failure. The TAVR procedure allows doctors to replace the heart’s damaged aortic valve by threading a long flexible tube (called a catheter) through the femoral artery in the leg to the heart, offering an effective and less invasive alternative compared to traditional open-heart surgery.
Since its approval, TAVR has continued to evolve and has become an established and widely used technique for eligible patients with aortic valve disease, with more than 300,000 patients treated in the U.S.[1]
For more information or to schedule a heart check up with an AtlantiCare cardiologist, visit www.atlanticare.org or call 1-888-569-1000.
About AtlantiCare
AtlantiCare is an award winning integrated healthcare system based in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, whose team of more than 6,500 serves the community in over 100 locations in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May and Ocean counties of southern New Jersey.
Committed to an innovative approach to providing best in the industry care, AtlantiCare’s vision of building healthy communities drives its mission of making a difference in health and healing, one person at a time.
Learn more at atlanticare.org or 1-888-569-1000.